Syllabus: Spring 2014 POLS-7013-OLA (Research
Methods/Intl Affairs)
Instructor Information
Dr. Jonathan S. Miner
Associate Professor of Political Science
Department of Political Science and International Affairs
331 Hansford Hall
Phone: (706) 867-3533; email: jonathan.miner@ung.edu
Purpose of the Course
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the process of
creating original research in International Affairs. During the semester the
student will delve into the research process, from foundational theory,
ethics, and idea generation through the planning, organization, research,
writing and presentation stages of an original study. Special emphasis will
be placed on introducing a few of the many prominent methods of doing
research in International Affairs. The material covered in this course is by
no means exhaustive, but through a series of assignments and an original
research design the student will build a foundation from which they can
explore additional research methods in the field.
This course is not the first course in this program for a specific reason.
Most graduate students are not yet familiar with the subject matter content
of the program (this is why they are enrolled in the first place) yet
introducing research methodologies while introducing a new subject matter
doubles the challenge. Therefore, we will use the familiarity of last
semester’s research topics to our advantage, working on a more effective
research design to accompany your subject knowledge.
Syllabus and Learning Objectives
Critical review: the student will understand how to read, comprehend,
critically analyze, and review original research in the field.
Topic generation and research design: the student will understand how to
develop ideas into working research projects through the development of a
research design.
Theoretical application: the student will understand the place of theory in
the field of international affairs and its uses in original research.
Ethics: the student will understand the ethical parameters around which
original research is conducted.
Variety: the student will appreciate the breadth and variety of qualitative
and quantitative research methods and how they can be combined to
explore any research question.
Critical Discussion: the course will develop the skill of critical discussion for
issues inherent in creating original research.
Methodology: the student will work and experiment with prominent
research methods in the field of International Affairs so that each of these
can be utilized for future original research.
Course Requirements
Assignments (200pts): 10 assignments worth 20pts apiece.
Discussion board (200pts): 4 discussions worth 50pts apiece
Research design (200pts): the readings, assignments and discussions
culminate in a research design due at the end of the semester.
Course Grading Policies
General Expectations: Students do not need to have studied political
science or international affairs as their undergraduate major, but as
students accepted into the MAIA program at NGCSU students are
expected to have a strong interest in the field and be willing to delve deeply
into the issues of study in international affairs. In other words, it is not
required that you have a course in research methods "under your belt," just
that you are willing and eager to absorb and learn the components of this
field of study.
Assignments: I know many of you work full time, have families and other
interests and responsibilities, so each student may turn in two (2)
assignments late (this does not include the final Research Design or apply
to Discussion Boards). Additional late assignments will receive no credit.
All assignments are to be submitted on D2L and Turnitin.com. You do not
need to email copies to me unless it is an approved, late assignment.
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Turnitin.com info: class id: 7389921 enrollment password: Berg
Late assignments will be accepted until April 25th at 5pm.
Discussion boards: are open only during the period in which the current
Module is open. Students are encouraged to get started on posting early
in the current module once they have read/understood the readings,
students cannot work ahead on future discussions or post retroactively.
Pending unusual and documented circumstances, exceptions to these
policies will only be granted to the class as a whole; students will not be
granted individual extensions either to post or to turn in more than two.
GRADING SCALE:
(A) Exceptional: 90-100%
(B) Very good: 80-89%
(C) Unsatisfactory: 70-79%
(D) Poor: 60-69%
(F) Failure to complete sufficient assignments: 59% and below
The student should make sure they have read the policies regarding the
MAIA in International Affairs and the standards for satisfactory progress in
the degree. A grade of (C) is in general considered insufficient and denotes
an unacceptable performance in this course.
Required Readings
There are a number of required readings for this course. Several are
attached to the assignments in the learning modules online, but there is
one text each student must purchase on his/her own:
1. Berg, Bruce L. and Howard Lune. “Qualitative Research Methods for
the Social Sciences”, (Eighth Edition) Allyn & Bacon 2011. This is the
foundational text for the course which introduces many of the important
issues and concepts and is a springboard for the more specific additional
articles and books assigned.
2. Articles accessible on North Georgia’s D2L application, including:
Diamond, L. 2010. “Why are there no Arab Democracies?” Journal of
Democracy, 21(1) 93-105.
Fenno, Richard F., Jr. “Observation, Context, and Sequence in the Study
of Politics,” The American Political Science Review, Vol. 80, No. 1 (Mar.,
1986), pp. 3-15.
Geertz, Clifford. "Notes on the Balinese Cockfight." In, The Interpretation of
Cultures, Basic Books, 1973.
Putnam, Robert D. Diplomacy and Domestic Politics: The Logic of TwoLevel Games. International Organization, Vol. 42, No. 3. (Summer, 1988),
pp. 427-460.
General Course outline (may be modified for teaching purposes)
Learning modules:
SEE THE CALENDAR TAB FOR ALL ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES!
Module 1. Introduction
Syllabus, course setup, and D2L familiarization
Module 2. Critical Analysis and the Ethics of Research
READINGS: Berg/Lune chapters 1, 3 and 12, "How to do a Critical
Analysis", Diamond and Literature Review readings
Assignment 1: Critical analysis of Diamond article
Assignment 2: Literature Review
Discussion 1 -- 1) Designate/post online research design topic, 2) Why is
research difficult?
Module 3. Designing Research and Using Theory
READINGS: Berg/Lune chapter 2, Putnam article
Assignment 3: Sampling
Assignment 4: Theory in research
Assignment 5: Concept mapping
Discussion 2 – Designing and theoretically grounding your research
Module 4: Case Studies, Archives, and Content Analysis
READINGS: Berg/Lune chapters 8, 10, 11, Geertz article
Assignment 6: What are your case studies and why?
Assignment 7: What archives provide the best evidence for your research
project?
Assignment 8: Conduct a content analysis on an article you are using for
your research
Discussion 3 – An analysis of passive research
Module 5. Interviewing and Surveys
READINGS: Berg chapter 4, Fenno article, Paterline reading, Public
opinion websites
Assignment 9: What interview subject provides the best evidence to
explore your research question?
Assignment 10: Create a survey
Discussion 4 – An analysis of active research
Completed research strategy due May 1st by 12 midnight
Assignment Rubric
Each of these assignments requires significant effort and critical thought
from each student. Some may seem easy, but if you research is to be valid
and revealing, the tools you use to collect and analyze that information
must be thoughtfully considered, written, measurable, and properly utilized
in a research design to yield satisfying results.
The following rubric will be used for all assignments (the Research Design
has a separate rubric):
Student Name:
Assignment:
Content Areas (Grading Criteria Percentage)
Scale of points for all Content Areas: 0 (least) to 5 (most)
1. Knowledge (25%) – Did the student demonstrate knowledge of the
readings?
The student effectively determined what information was necessary to
complete the assignment/analysis and exhibited a thorough understanding,
showing the instructor the material was read and properly absorbed. Was
the paper well-written? Was there clear evidence that time and though
was put into proper editing?
2. Application (25%) – Did the student accurately apply the concept,
theory, or methodological tool?
The student properly used and applied the concept, theory or
methodological tool which is the focus of the assignment.
Use (25%) – Did the student develop a persuasive, coherent test of the
research method/analysis of the theory or article?
The student developed a focused and well stated analysis that tested the
research method/article and the benefits and drawbacks of using the
method/theory/article/technique in original research.
3. Ethical/Legal (25%) – Did the student complete the assignment in an
ethical manner?
The student was used the research method in an ethical manner,
appreciating the uses and misuses of employing the
method/theory/article/technique in original research.
Research Design
Research Design
You may wonder why we are doing some of the following
assignments/where they lead:
• Choosing a topic
• Writing an abstract
• Determining an ideal and practical sample
• Triangulation of Theory
• Developing a concept map
• Choosing cases
Well, these early pieces combine with our upcoming assignments and
become your final project for the semester: a research design. This is a
document of 12 to 18 pages intended to be a plan of action for your project;
and while you are not carrying out the actual project, the research design is
intended to show you how. This assignment is your major research project
for the semester, and it is due Friday, April 22nd by 5pm.
Chapter 12 of Berg lays out a full and traditional research report (p. 384) as
well as specific descriptions of many of these steps. You are to replicate
this process exactly with the details outlined and explained below:
Your research design must be completed using APA style. See the web
links for guidance.
The following explains each of the parts of the Research Design and the
points involved for the overall project:
THE TITLE: 10 points
• Directly describes what the research is about; creativity is good, so be
original.
• Titles change many times, especially after full research is completed so
pick one!
THE ABSTRACT (50-200 words on same page as title; 1 whole page): 10
points
• Brief general description of the research, methods and findings.
• You will want to modify your initial abstract to reflect the thinking, planning
and mapping you’ve done since that time.
THE INTRODUCTION must contain (1 to 2 pages) 10 points:
• Statement of the research question(s).
• Description of research question(s).
• Justification of research question(s) or statement(s).
• These above requirements are meant to answer the following questions:
what is the purpose of your research? How will you answer that
question(s)? Why is this research useful (the all-important question in
IA…why should we care)?
LITERATURE REVIEW (5 to 7 pages): 50 points
• General review of the literature related to the research topic.
METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES (3 to 5 pages): 60 points
• Presentation of the theoretical framework or orientation.
Overall description of the research procedures and strategies.
• Description of the sample, sampling techniques, and/or the subjects.
• Consideration of the research setting.
• Discussion of the data collection strategies, data organization methods,
and analytic procedures.
• A full list of where you can and would get your evidence taking into
account both your ideal and practical sample.
PROSPECTIVE FINDINGS and RESULTS/DISCUSSION of
ANTICIPATED CONCLUSIONS (2 to 3 pages): 60 points
• A presentation of what you generally expect to find; i.e., the anticipated
linkages between your research question and the results you expect to
find.
• Consideration of where your research might fit in the current literature.
• General discussion of the possible impact of your research on policy.
• Suggested directions for future research.
Discussion Board Policies
Discussion Board Assignment and Rubric
Class participation is an important expectation of this course. Students are
expected to offer comments, questions, and replies to the discussion questions that
have been posed for each module as well as to classmate postings. Students are
expected to actively participate in EACH module's discussion thread. The faculty
role is as an observer and facilitator. I will be reading all messages and I will
participate in the discussion as appropriate.
Discussion boards are open only during the period in which the Module is
open. Students cannot work ahead on discussion, nor can they post
retroactively. Exceptions to these rules will only be granted to the class as a
whole; students will not be granted individual extensions to post.
Evaluation of Assignment:
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Each set of postings will be evaluated generally on the following: 1) overall
quality, and 2) the degree they promotes course learning through class
discussion.
Participation on each of the Module discussion boards is required and
grades for each discussion board will be given at the end of each learning
module.
Postings should be concise, intentional and present your ideas clearly and
coherently. Remember, this is the discussion component of an in-class
course we are trying to create online.
You must cite your sources each time you post. For example, at the end of
a post on the constitutional basis for Presidential power which you read in
the textbook you would note that source as (Berg p. 50). Your citations must
be specific and anything you quote or paraphrase must be cited.
Posting “I agree” or extemporaneous and random thoughts will receive no
points and directly affect your discussion board evaluation. Profanity or
inappropriate comments will result in an automatic zero for the discussion
board.
Each student must post at least 7 times per learning module but no more
than 10. Failure to post the minimum amount of times will result in a grade
of zero being averaged into that Module’s discussion board grade for each
missed discussion post.
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At least 1 of the postings must initiate a new discussion topic.
The remaining postings can be in response to another student’s
posting. You may respond to your own posting but the same rubric
requirements will apply. Do not merely reiterate your arguments. Each post
must add to discussion.
Make sure you read and understand the rubric. Please ask questions.
I do not expect you to immediately understand what constitutes an excellent
posting, but you must put forth your best effort and adjust quickly.
I will grade your posting evaluations for each Module as a whole, add up the
7 Module discussion scores and divide them by 7 to arrive at your
average. I keep track of the top 7 discussion posts and corresponding
grades for each students, so please ask if you have questions.
Each set of discussion posts is graded according to the following rubric:
Points
Interpretation
Grading Criteria
4
Excellent (A)
The posting is 1) original, 2) relevant, 3) accurately
cited, teaches us something new, and is well written.
Four point postings add substantial teaching
presence to the course, and stimulate additional
thought about the issue under discussion.
3
Above Average (B) The posting lacks at least one of the above qualities,
but is above average in quality. A three point posting
makes a significant contribution to our understanding
of the issue being discussed.
2
Average (C)
The posting lacks two or three of the required
qualities. Postings which are based upon personal
opinion or personal experience often fall within this
category.
1
Minimal (D)
The posting presents little or no new information.
However, one point postings may provide important
social presence and contribute to a collegial
atmosphere.
0
Unacceptable
The posting adds no value to the discussion.
Course Policies
Technical Skills:
Students are expected to be able to use D2L for their assignments, use
email and attachments, submit materials using D2L and navigate the
NGCSU website for all readings, tutorials, and resources that assist in the
learning environment. I am here to help you do these things, but ultimately
it is your responsibility. Failure to adequately understand and function
within the online environment is not grounds for individualized exceptions
for workloads, assignments or due dates for that work.
Please see the following link for all UNG academic policies.
http://ung.edu/academic-affairs/policies-and-guidelines/supplemental-syllabus.php
Information Literacy Statement
The research, writing, and online discussion activities are designed to
create an information literate student, one who can effectively and
efficiently read, access, weigh and apply information within the moral,
social, cultural and economic context given.
So what exactly is Information Literacy (IL)? Information literacy, the topic
of North Georgia’s Quality Enhancement Plan, is the ability to know when
information is needed and to access, evaluate and use information
effectively and ethically. Information literacy, with its focus on definable
skills and critical thinking, supports and extends the institution's overall
learning outcomes.
Please read and think about the statements below as you complete your
work for this course.
Information Literacy Learning Outcomes*
1. The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the
information needed. (Know)
2. The information literate student accesses needed information effectively
and efficiently. (Access)
3. The information literate student evaluates information and its sources
critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge
base and value system. (Evaluates)
4. The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group,
uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose. (Use)
5. The information literate student understands many of the economic,
legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses
and uses information ethically and legally. (Ethical/Legal)
*Learning Outcomes adapted from the Association of College and
Research Libraries (ACRL) standards